Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Veolia and next doors' rubbish
This saga really is beginning to wear me down.
For some reason, (probably the wrong bin was in front of the right bin) Veolia have not been emptying the bins next door. Now they definitely won't as they're overflowing and they STINK! I made the mistake of opening my window today but quickly closed it again due to the stench of rotting rubbish. But not only that, they next door (non English speaking Japanese) have nowhere else to put their rubbish.
Until now.
I spotted one of them on my CCTV putting their rubbish in my bin. So when they've filled my bin, where am I supposed to put my rubbish?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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I've just spotted a "News" item from yesterday (28 June 2013) on Haringey Council's website. It's headed Clampdown on Misuse of Recycling Bins.
Given the kind of problem described by Madeline in this discussion thread - which can hardly be unique - you'll see that it risks blaming the "victim". It says:
Residents who contaminate their recycling bin with non-recyclable rubbish face enforcement action and could have their recycling collections suspended". Haringey have written to "residents who put general rubbish in their recycling bin" and "warned that their recycling waste may not be collected if they continue in this manner". And that: "if repeated, the resident may also face enforcement action".
This threat is then repeated in the form of a quote from Cllr Nilgun Canver, the "Cabinet Member" for the Environment, who writes: "I hope this letter will let this small group of people know that we are serious about recycling and we expect them to comply with the rules."
I'm sure Nilgun is well aware of the existence of another small group of people who are also serious about recycling, but whose neighbours are not cooperating with them in this. So I have emailed Nilgun asking her to read this thread and give her cabinetastic suggestions for solving the problem. Including how we avoid another unintended consequence - the dumping of surplus waste on streets, in alleys, parks and bits of empty ground.
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor. P.S. Thanks Madeline. More on Monday as promised.)
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Permalink Reply by Madeline on
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Regarding the 'enforcement' action, when I phoned Haringey and told them what's happening here they basically washed their hands of it citing that it was a civil matter. OK, so dumping of rubbish onto a neighbouring property is not their problem? It's up to me to take him to court!
As for refusing to collect their rubbish of any sort, it is only going to continue what I'm suffering here, ie. using my bins instead. How are they going to enforce that? They're not. They've already told me that it's my problem, not theirs. So what next? Will they refuse to take my bins because they too are contaminated with the wrong rubbish, even though it's not mine?
PS. Just read that note and I suppose that sticker they've put on the bin next door is the 'tag' and the leaflets they stuck through the letter box are the 'letters'.
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If you look at that photo, just to the right you can see the back of a general waste bin. Hubby tells me this is empty. I suppose the Japanese neighbour can't get to it because of the three full bins blocking it in. Mind you, even if he did use it now it still wouldn't be emptied because, as I just said, it's blocked in by the other full bins which Veolia won't empty.
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Madeline: I rang Veolia Call Centre this morning. The Veolia "Village Manager" is Stephen Fletcher. They gave me his email as: stephen.fletcher@veolia.co.uk
Madeline and Sally M : I'm having a problem getting clear information about the correct address for sending a formal complaint about Veolia. If it's on Haringey Veolia website, I couldn't find it. Obviously it ought to be available there without too much trouble.
Rather than sending both of you on a wild goose chase I'll take this "up" the line.
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Thanks Alan.
Part two of the saga now. My upstairs neighbours have now joined in. They've put two black bags and a mop pole out in front of their bin. This is because the Japanese guy has also been using their bin and there's no room for their own rubbish. Veolia will not take bin bags, (or the pole) and won't move them to get to the bin. So another bin that won't be emptied this week.
Where will it all end?
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Permalink Reply by Nilgun Canver on
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Hi, I reported the matter and engagement team will be visiting your neighbour.
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Thank you.
FYI this is the note I wrote for my upstairs neighbours when we had problems with their methods of disposal:-
Rubbish Collections
You may not be aware that there are problems with Veolia and the rubbish collection service that they provide. Basically, Health and Safety have gone mad as to what they will and will not take.
They will not take non-domestic rubbish.
They will not take a bin that is over filled and has the lid open.
They will not take bin bags.
They will not move any obstruction to get to the bin, ie. bin bags or any other dumped rubbish (such as washing machine parts)
Bins must be placed near the front of the property for collection.
Recently I did a walk-about with two of our local councillors and a council worker responsible for overseeing such problems. On this walk it was noted the amount of bin bags piled up in this yard, nearly a dozen I think. These were the bags that you said that you were going to arrange to be taken. That didn't happen.
Each time you put these bags out you effectively prevent me from getting my bike out. This has meant that on more than one occasion I've had to call a cab to take me to and from the shops where normally I would have used the bike instead.
You may be wondering then about where your rubbish has been going? It's Mick, he's been 'recycling' it so that I can get to my bike and also to clear up the mess and get rid of the smell.
But this can not continue. He's an old man heading for his 70's, not in good health and registered blind. He can't keep humping your bin bags about. I can't do it either as I have recently been diagnosed as chronically ill, (I knew I was sick, now it's confirmed). You must take responsibility for the disposal of your rubbish from now on and respect the fact that we share the front yard.
Our collection day is Wednesday and is bi-weekly for normal rubbish, weekly for recycled. This week is a both collection week.
For your information you can take any extra rubbish to one of the council sites the nearest of which is:-
Hornsey Reuse and Recycling Centre
35 High Street
Hornsey
N8 7QBMonday to Friday: 8.30am to 4pm
Saturday and Sunday: 9am to 4pm
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It would have been really helpful, Madeline, if you had explained at the beginning of this thread that you had already called in two of your local ward councillors who had visited your home, seen the problem and -presumably? - were taking it up on your behalf.
Do you know if they contacted Stephen Fletcher the Veolia "Village" Manager? Or Cllr Nilgun Canver the "cabinet" councillor?
This does not of course change the fact that you and your neighbours have had to live with the problem not being solved.
Justin Guest's questions to Nilgun Canver are ones I'd like answers to as well. If the system only runs when big men/women get involved, then we don't have a proper modern system at all.
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)
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Alan, I hadn't already called in the local ward councillors, I found out that they were going to do a walk-about and invited myself along. They had a list furnished by Veolia that highlighted problem properties but this was solely about access and not about which rubbish was going where. This was not a personal request for a visit for a specific problem with this property. Indeed, ours got a tick from Veloia as one of the few properties with no access problems. Our road has a lot of HMO's and very small front yards so these yards can get very crowded if each and every tenant has their own bins. For that reason, in this property, we have opted for the green bags instead of a pair of huge wheelie bins alongside the usual black wheelie bins. This has so far worked for us.
Until now, where another neighbour from another property is filling our bins with his rubbish forcing my upstairs neighbour to go back to her bad habits and me to have to place my bin in an almost inaccessible place just to make it awkward for him to get to it.
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Apologies for that misunderstanding, Madeline. But even so, it's clear that two of your ward councillors and a Haringey officer - presumably someone reasonably senior - saw the problem for themselves. The old proverb about too many cooks has some truth to it!
Anyway, you now have Cllr Nilgun Canver giving this her personal attention. It's like calling in a combination of Sherlock Holmes and Lara Croft.
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Permalink Reply by Justin Guest on
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Nilgun. As a general rule of thumb, how should Veolia be dealing with residents misusing bins, and the bins thus not being emptied? I just walked up Pemberton as I thought I saw a guy putting a load of bags and rubbish on the street by the New River. I was not clear who put the rubbish where it now is but the property directly next to the rubbish has bins overflowing (I believe it is an HMO). I rather assume Veolia will identify properties where an 'Engagement Team' should visit, and not wait for residents to complain?
PS- this is a genuine question, not loaded in order to bash Veolia. I genuinely want to know what the process should be.
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Madeline and Sally M
Here's information you requested about making a Stage 1 formal complaint regarding Haringey Veolia's waste collection services.
Residents are asked to contact the Governance Team in Haringey Council. Contact details are:
- Feedback and Information Governance Team
- 7th Floor, River Park House
- 225 High Road
- Wood Green London N22 8HQ
- Phone: 020 8489 2550
- Email: feedback@haringey.gov.uk
Residents are asked to tell the Governance Team what they are dissatisfied about, and what they would like Veolia to do to put things right.
A senior manager will then contact the resident in writing within 15 working days.
As I wrote before, if a resident is not satisfied they can take the complaint to Stage 2 by again contacting the Council Governance Team as above.
When I tried looking up this information on Haringey Veolia website I couldn't find it. So I've suggested to Veolia that they have a page or section on their website called something like: "Complaints" or "Making a Complaint". Which clearly and simply sets out the procedure.
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)
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